The season always started on a Tuesday in Cincinnati and Washington; the home of the sport’s oldest franchise and in the nation’s capital for the national past time.

This year, lost in the midst of the NCAA Tournament, the start of the baseball season begins with Sunday’s highly anticipated Houston Astros-Texas Rangers clash on Opening Night – not Day.

You can’t yawn anymore even if you hadn’t slept in three nights. The hook of Houston moving to the American League is a lot of things, but compelling is not one of them.

Thankfully, baseball didn’t go overseas for Opening Day, as when the Mets played the Cubs in Japan days before every other team, and several years ago the Yankees played Tampa Bay in Tokyo, then returned to Florida for more exhibition games. There might have been worse ideas, but few come immediately to mind.

For a financial fix – the only reason Major League Baseball does stuff like this – the sport traded something unique and cherished for generations in exchange for a check.

This season, Opening Day in Cincinnati is polluted by interleague play with the Angels coming in. Not only is interleague distasteful for Opening Day, but if you’re going to do it, why the Angels?

A good team, yes, but if the weather is awful and the game postponed, the Angels will be scrambling for a make-up date to fly cross-country.

Inane scheduling just as the Padres at the Mets tomorrow. Can’t they see the folly in this?

Baseball’s Opening Day was always special and anticipated. Now, it’s like the NBA and NHL, where some years you pick up a paper and two games have been played before you realize the season started.

The NFL stole the concept of Opening Day when it kicks off its season the Thursday before the first weekend with the Super Bowl champion at home. By the way, good job by the Orioles for telling the Ravens and NFL to take a hike by not rescheduling their game.

It wouldn’t be hard to have Opening Day the day after the NCAA Championship in most years. But, if not, go back to Cincinnati and Washington the first Tuesday in April.

Or, have everybody play that day, and taking a page from the NCAA Tourney, have wall-to-wall games from afternoon to late at night, with conceivably four games, the first starting at 1 p.m., and the last at 10.

Make the whole day, from coast to coast, special.

I want Opening Day back, and in New York, both the Mets and Yankees should have the town to themselves. Not only are they playing on the same day in the city, but the same time.

Nobody thought this was bad idea?

Sure, the times and economics change, but does Major League Baseball have to abandon everything that was once cherished?

ESPN’s Jim Bowden presented five potential trades for David Wright if the Mets are unable to work out an extension, stating that the negotiations so far have been “slow and grinding.”

Hold up for a minute.

Let’s all be a little bit more patient with all this. The World Series ended less than four days ago.

Of course, there’s also a sense of urgency when negotiating with a star player. But before we fly off the deep end, at least the team has somewhat begun contract negotiations – unlike last year at this time with Jose Reyes.

If the Mets do decide to trade Wright this offseason, they would need to be blown out of the water by a potential package, which would have to include at least two-three Major League ready players or prospects.

This wouldn’t be the type of trade in which the Mets get a handful of promising low-level prospects who have the potential to pan out. You can’t trade the face of your franchise for prospect potential.

The players the Mets would receive would have to be significant contributors to the 2013 roster or, at the very least, be on the horizon for 2014.

Looking at Bowden’s proposed trades, some of them would be interesting. The Mets of course would look to acquire a young third baseman to replace Wright as well as either an outfielder or starting pitcher.

Boston’s Will Middlebrooks or Kansas City’s Mike Moustakos could fill in immediately. Of course, these guys aren’t David Wright but potentially develop into a similar-type player.

And imagine if the Diamondbacks would be willing to part with Trevor Bauer. Bauer, Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler in the same rotation…that could be scary.

Peter Bourjos would have an immediate impact in the Mets decimated outfield, and he’s expendable with the emergence of Mike Trout.

But of all the teams Bowden listed, it would really be a stretch for a deal to be made. The Angels are in search of pitching as are the Royals. It would be strange for the D’backs to commit to Wright long-term when they’re looking to trade Justin Upton. And the Rangers have Adrian Beltre locked up at third.

The Red Sox would make the most sense, especially since they cleared payroll with the summer’s blockbuster trade with the Dodgers. They also could use a new beginning after a terrible season.

The majority of Mets fans want to keep Wright, but if a trade is the only option, the team better get several quality players back in return.

R.A. Dickey has been a cornerstone of the New York Mets’ early success during the 2012 season. While he had pitched well in the previous two seasons, nobody was expecting a sub-3.00 ERA, thirteen wins and an All-Star appearance. His success has presented the Mets with a dilemma, and the team must decide whether to keep Dickey or trade him.

* How will the Mets perform? 

The Mets were one of the surprise teams of the first half of 2012. With surprising batting and a good starting pitchers, the Mets spent much of the first half of the season second only to the Washington Nationals in the National League East division. The beginning of the second half of the season, however, has gone poorly. Now below .500 and in third place, the Mets appear to have only an outside shot of making the playoffs. Most experts expect a few Mets to be traded and some young prospects to join the squad.

* Dickey’s trade value 

Dickey’s trade value is a bit hard to accurately gauge, and it is likely that teams will have vastly different ratings for his value; factors are more challenging to gauge than a typical credit card comparison. On the downside, he will be 38 in October. Further, his stellar performance is a recent development. Over his career, Dickey holds an average 4.14 ERA.

On the plus side, Dickey’s pitching style mitigates the disadvantages of his age. A knuckleballer such as Dickey does not depend on arm strength to pitch well, and knuckleball pitchers can often pitch well into mid-40s. Further, Dickey should be able to deliver upwards of 200 innings of work if he continues to pitch well. On the whole, most experts agree that Dickey’s upside outweighs his negatives.

With Zack Greinke, a two month rental, recently being traded for a kings ransom that included the Angels’ #1, #4 and #9 ranked prospects, it certainly gives one pause to at least consider what the future value of Dickey’s trade return can mean to the organization. Especially with the goal for fielding an actual contender being closer to the year 2015 than it is to 2012. The shortstop the Brewers got back, Jean Segura is ranked No. 55 in the 2012 Top 100 by Baseball America. To put that into perspective, Matt Harvey was ranked No. 54.

* Will the Mets make the trade? 

Like making a business credit card comparison, the Mets must tabulate the advantages and disadvantages of retaining Dickey. As time passes, fewer experts are predicting a trade. While his trade value justifies making a move, his future value seems to outweigh his payroll cost and the young prospects the trade would bring. Once the Mets are again a competitive team, Dickey will still be young enough to make an impact, and his veteran status will help him guide a team of young players.

Further, fans have fallen in love with Dickey, and the Mets are reluctant to trade away fan favorites after the struggles of recent seasons.

Trade decisions are never easy, just as critical office decisions are tough for any business. The Mets will likely remain conflicted about what to do with Dickey up until the July 31st trade deadline. Mets fans who want Dickey to remain will be pleased with recent developments, but the possibility of a team making an offer that is too good to pass for the cash-strapped management still remains.

This Fan Shot was submitted by Rebecca. Have something you want to say about the Mets? Share your opinions with over ten-thousand Mets fans who read this site daily. Send your Fan Shot to GetMetsmerized@aol.com. Or ask about being a regular contributor, and share your opinions with an engaging community that loves to debate.

The Angels in one way are pretty similar to the Mets. They are the second class citizen in gigantic sports market. Other than that, they are pretty much polar opposites. 

Ownership:

Anybody know the story of Arthur Moreno, the Angels owner? In 2003, Moreno became the first Hispanic to own a major sports franchise when he bought the team from the Walt Disney Company. He’s a Vietnam War Veteran, and a University of Arizona graduate who built his financial empire by working his way up the ranks within an outdoor advertising company called Outdoor Systems which is now currently owned by CBS. Actually you can find a lot of this information in his biography or on Michael Scott’s favorite website, “Wikipedia.” Those are all nice facts, but you know what the most important to me is? When he bought the team, he wanted to win. Now granted, the name change and everything was probably a disaster, but if that’s his worst move as owner of this team, who wouldn’t trade that for what we have right now? Oh, he’s also the owner who capitalized on the Mets being fearful of Vlad Guerrero’s “back injuries.” 

Fred Wilpon became owner of the NY Mets due to his involvement as founder for Sterling Equities which is a real estate investment company. Wilpon was the Mets President for 22 years prior to purchasing the Doubleday share of the team in 2002. I’d love to write a big paragraph about Wilpon like I did about Moreno, but he’s just not that interesting. He’s been associated with this team since 1980, and in comparison to Moreno, Wilpon’s plan has always seemed to be about expanding the business, and I don’t mean the business of winning championships. 

General Managers:

Tony Reagins (42) is the General Manager for the Angels. Did you even know that? Following a 5 year stint as Director of Player Development (we’ll get to that,) Reagins was promoted from within the organization after the 2007. Bill Stoneman, the former VP and General Manager would assume a role of Senior Advisor to the Angels. Reagins is only the 4^th African American General Manager in MLB history. 

Omar Minaya (50) is the General Manager for the Mets, we all know that. Minaya’s baseball background is a minor league career that lasted a shorter amount of time than it will take me to finish this article. Minaya’s was a member of the Texas Rangers scouting staff in the mid 1980’s, where he was instrumental in the signing of Hispanic players such as Sammy Sosa (DR), and Juan Gonzalez (PR) (what do those two have in common?) Minaya then as we know spent time as the GM for the Montreal Expos after working under Steve Phillips in the mid 1990’s. 

On the Field Manager:

At 50 years old, Mike Scioscia is quickly becoming the godfather of American League Managers. Sosh was hired in 1999, and this January he signed an impressive 10 year contract to remain with the Angels. Sciosia was a solid ballplayer, not a superstar, but a solid player who knew the game and knew how to play it. He paid his dues on the field and behind the plate, and then he paid his dues as a coach within the Dodgers organization. He is a very respected manager both by players and other managers alike. He is the winningest manager in Angels history, and in 10 seasons he has managed the Angels to only two seasons under .500 in which they won 75 and 77 games respectively.   

Jerry Manuel (55) was a low level major league ballplayer for roughly 5 years. His major league career makes Scioscia look like a Hall of Fame player. He, like Scioscia paid his dues in the coaching field. Manuel spent most of his time within the Expos organization. He was a coach for their Triple A team, but then spent most of his time as an infield instructor or minor league field coordinator. He was hired as their AA manager in 1990, and earned Manager of the Year honors. Manuel then worked his way to become the Expos third base coach from 1991 until 1996 when he later moved on to become Jim Leyland’s bench coach in Florida. Thanks in part to a Marlins World Series victory, Manuel was pursued by the Chicago White Sox whom he’d manage for 6 seasons, earning Manager of the Year honors in 2000. 

Player Development & Free Agent Signings:

This is a spot where the Angels obviously excel well past the New York Mets. If you take a look at their current roster, they have 6 out of 9 everyday players under the age of 31. Of those 6, four of them were drafted or signed as amateurs by the Angels. Napoli (17^th Round), Morales (undrafted), Kendrick (10^th round), Aybar (undrafted). They acquired Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter, and Vlad Guerrero all via free agency, and acquired Chone Figgins and Juan Rivera in low level trades. 

You want to talk about pitching? The Angels have four pitchers that could be classified as number one pitchers on most Major League rosters. John Lackey is the oldest at age 30, and he was drafted by the Angels in the 2^nd round of 1999 draft. Joe Saunders checks in at 28 years old, drafted 12^th overall in the 1^st round of 2002’s amazing draft. Jered Weaver is just 26 years old, drafted by the Angels with the 12^th overall pick in 2004. That year, the Mets drafted Phillip Humber, and the only pick above the Angels that turned out to be as expected is Justin Verlander. Finally, Ervin Santana was signed as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2000. 

I don’t think I need to go over the enormous differences in their roster compared to the Mets, do I? Every year it seems you know the Angels are going to be a threat. They spend money in the right places, they make smart baseball moves, and they develop the talent in their system. I’m not a real proponent of minor league W-L record is a strong sign of how your team will do in the future, but even with the Angels having most of their young talent developed and on the big league level, the Angels have a .476 winning percentage in the minor leagues compared to the Mets having a .434 winning percentage. (AAA, AA, A adv., and A used) 

Fan Relations:
Okay so we’ve covered the owner, the GM, the manager, the roster and the player development. Let’s end it on this note. The Angels blow the Mets away in terms of fan relations. Their ticket costs according to the ESPN Franchise rankings, is the 5^th lowest in MLB. They have 75 promotions, in 81 home games this season, with many of them being fun filled giveaways. Now, I used to work in this industry, so I for one do not go to games because of the giveaway. However, I do recognize the fan appreciation value of a giveaway. Have you ever sat and watched an Angels game on television? Doesn’t it just look fun? We have a brand new ballpark, and we practically had to beg the Mets to put up Mets pictures in the concourse! We’re not the Yankees, we don’t want to be the Yankees. The Mets fan is a fan that just wants to actually enjoy the ballpark, and fall in love with our team again. We’re not asking for a championship every year, we’re not. We’re asking for a product on and off the field that we can be proud of. A team that makes us as fans feel appreciated and not the butt of a Stephen Colbert joke (pretty funny, did you see it last night?) 

Conclusion
From every angle, the Angels do what the Mets should be doing. Heck, their current team roster practically mirrors the image in which the Mets should be built to win at Citi Field. By no means do the Angels have the best roster of players in baseball. What they do is they get the most out of their players, because their lineup compliments their manager’s style of play, and they have that style of play down pat. They win games, they provide the fans with a great atmosphere, they do their homework both in the free agent and unsigned amateur market, they draft and develop well, and they spend money because they realize their brand is built when they win ballgames. That’s what Arte Moreno has done, that’s what Mike Scioscia brings to the table, and that’s what the Angels fans have, and we do not.

University of California, Irvine Medical Center spokesman John Murray says Adenhart died Thursday morning after undergoing surgery.

Officials said the 22-year-old Adenhart was one of three people killed in the crash early Thursday after pitching in a loss against the Oakland Athletics.

The driver of a minivan ran a red light in Fullerton and hit two cars, including one carrying Adenhart.

Police Lt. Craig Brower said the minivan driver fled the crash scene and was captured a short time later. The driver was arrested and booked for investigation of felony hit-and-run.

Adenhart was drafted by the Angels out of Williamsport, Maryland in 2004. He was coming off elbow surgery, but the Angels gave him $700,000 to turn pro rather than attend the University of North Carolina. After recovering from the elbow surgery, he rose quickly through the Angels’ system and made his Major League debut in 2008, when he was just 21 years old.

Our condolences to the family and to the Angels organization.